HarlemLIVE

For the past nineteen years Wesley Batson has always been asked a intriguing question “How did you get those scars?” That question was hard to answer simply because to explain the whole story can leave the listener in tears.

One day while at his summer internship at HarlemLive someone suggested that he write a memoir about his scar. Here’s what happened: When I was born I had what you call complications. The complications were that I had trouble breathing through my nose so I had to get something in my throat to help me breath better. I also was born with Pfeiffer syndrome, which caused many setbacks. It is a genetic disorder caused by the premature fusion of certain skull bones. Also when I was born I had to get a VP shunt installed to prevent water from going to my brain. A VP shunt is a tube that travels from the brain to my stomach to prevent water from getting in the brain.

The shunt lasted seventeen years until a cold dreary Sunday in early November 2006 when I woke up with a raging headache. I went into the kitchen where my mom was and said, “My head hurts Mom.” My mom took my temperature and called my dad to check on me and my dad said, “Lets go. I'm taking you to the emergency room.” When we got to the emergency room I vomited so the nurses rushed me into the examination room where they took my temperature and blood pressure and gave me a wristband, after that, I went for a CT scan. During the CT scan I vomited again. This time sour things came up. I felt tears forming in my eyes because I couldn't understand why I was so sick. After the CT scan I went back to the examination room and waited for my results. Later that evening the doctor came in and told me very grave news: “Your shunt has a crack in it.” I looked at my dad and started crying because I didn't want to die. The doctor also told my dad and me that they had to tap my shunt and that I had to have surgery to replace the shunt. That was the worst day in my life. I felt really bad and depressed because it always seemed like no matter I did I always ended up getting sick.

The next day I went into surgery and came out feeling worse. On Tuesday they had to cut my stomach, which I can tell you it was not a pleasant experience at age seventeen because it was painful and I was unable to eat. On Wednesday I thought I was doing good until noon when I started burning up like crazy. Then I felt cold like I had a fever. It seemed like no matter what I ate everything came back up, which was an upsetting experience. It made me wonder if I would ever get better or would I die. Later that week the doctor came into my hospital room and said to my parents and me, “Wesley is doing much better.” I was so happy because it meant that I could go home with my family and the best thing ever was that I could eat again.

I don't like having scars because it is always hard to answer questions about them. However, looking back to that experience I still remain positive and optimistic. Despite what happened that year, I still have my life and I am thankful for that. I will strive to achieve my goal to do bigger and better things like attend culinary school and become a chef.